Reversible fulcrum



w. c.v HEDGCOCK. REVERSIBLE FULCRUIVIL APPLICATION FILED APILB. 1921.

1,434,8 1 71 Patented Nov. 7, 1922:.

f n j I 1"- `7" f ,J ff f5 ji rai-@mee New., 7, 19.22.

UNITED s'ra'riis N iasiu PATENT l enrich.

WILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, yASSIG'IQ'OR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, 0F CHICAGG, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

REVERSIBLE FULCRUM.

Application med Aprii e,

it lrnown that I, WILLTAM C. Hnos- CooK, citizen of the United States, residingv at Chicago7 in the county ofCoolz and State of Illinois? have invented certain new `and useful Improvements in Reversible Fulcrums, of which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to reversible` fulcrum arrangements,

At the present time non-reversible fulcrums are used mostv1 in spite of the fact that separate rip'htand left-hand tulcriims are required under such circumstances7 be- ,anse in reversible ulcrums generally used thus Ear the fulcrums comprise three separate members, namely,. a member secured to the compression member,y another member secured to the tension member, and another member interposed between said other two members. Such three-piece fulcrums have more or less lost motion between the parts`r thereby lacking one very desirable feature of a fulcrum`r namely. rigidity as a strut of a brake beam truss. Furthermore, where they fulcrum is made up of more than one piece` it `is not so durable and is more liable to failure.

`One object ot my invention, therefore, is to f provide a one-piece reversible `fulcrum which is simple and durable in construction, etlicient in operation and adapted to meet all ot the requirements for successfulcommercial use. f. i

\ Another object is to provide asimple and eilioient lockingconnection between the oompression member of a brake beam and a fulcrum.

These and other objects areaccomplished by means of the arrangements `disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in whichl l w i -Figure 1 is atop plan view of a brake beam andk fulcium 'embodying' my invention; i i

FigureQ is a li'rontielev'ation of the same;

Figure 3 is a JfragmentaryV top plan'view of my improved reversible fulcrum showing parts of the tension and compression member` and means for locking the latter :to the fulcrum; l i i Figure 4 is aview taken'at right angles to the view shown in Figure 4 with the compression and `tension members shown in sec tion j 1921. SerialNo. 459,790.

.Figure 'is a fragmentary rear elevational view showing, among other things. angle portions of the band of the reversible fulcrum adapted to engage upper and lower portions of the compression member;

Figure Gis a reduced transverse sectional view throueh the loop or compression member receiving portion of the fulcrum showing upper and lower angled portions which engage the upper and lower sides of `the `compression memberi and also showing tapered locking' projections on the liront wall ot the loop portion;

F igure 7 `is aireduced fragmentary side elevation of the compression member receiving portion of the reversible fulcrum; and f Fig-ure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to. that shown in Figure 4 showing a modification of the arrangement in which the reversible fulcrum and compression member are pivotally connected.

The various novel features of my invention will be apparent from the 'following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

Referring to the ligures ofk the drawing, it will be noted that I have disclosed my invention in connection with the `truss type of brake beam, including; a compression member l0 and tension member ll` which are joined at their ends and receive brake heads 12. My improved one-piece fulcrum is interposed between the compression and ten sion members intermediate their ends, and includes three integrally formed por* tions, namely, the intermediate portion 14 fori'receiving an operating lever in slot l5, aportion 16 for 'receiving the tension rod 1l, and a portion 17 for receivingthe compression memberv 10. As shown, the comprcssionrmember receiving portion 17` of the fulcrumy is in the form of a closed band, the rear wall owhich in `one arrangiamenti for example in Figure 4, is provided with an inwardly extending projection 18 which extends into an aperture 19 in the web 20 of the compression member whereby the ful- GOv The upper and lower walls, respectively,v

of the banded portion of the tulcrum each have angled portions which form a` V, the angled portions 22 and 23 oi the upper wall and .ther angled"'po1'tions 24 and 25 of the lower wall co-operating at different times witbthe upperzand lower flanges 26and 27 oftlthe'compressionmember. As shown in Figure ztbe upper wall 1 portion 22 and lower .wall portionQa are respectively in en= gagementi with upper and lower compression iianges and It, however, the fulcrum is reversed, `upper wall portion Qand lower wall portion Qzfwill be in engagement, re* speetivel-y, with-said upper and lower flanges 26 and 27 ofthe compression member.

F or makingthe reversible tulcrum rigid ,with respect to` thefcompression member in the V-difezrent positions, we'dging means has beenprovided-r In this connection it will be noted that the front wall of the banded portion ofthe ulcrumis" provided with six inclined rearwardly extending projections -28 29., 30, 3l, 32' and 33,1 which cooperate with avtapered key 34,1whichl,v as shown, tits in between the 'i'on'twall ofthe banded portion; ofthe-fulcrum and the flanges 26 and 27 ofthercompression member. The upper,- -projeot-ing portionl 35 'of the wedge key'll in the=position shown vinf the figures of the drawings, is wedged in between the inclined projections 28 and 29 on one side `and the upperfflange 26 ot the-compression member on tbe'other side, and the lower projectingportion;l 360i? thev wedge key is wedged infbetweeniuthe inclined projection 33 on one pslde Iand thelower flange 27 of the. compression member for making the stru"- ture rigid andfat these-Ine time the Afulclrum is locked againstfpivotal movement as a result of the lateral-wedge `pin projection'i' interposed betweenxthe band "projection 29 o n one side and'sthe ends lof band-projec tlonswBQrandoBl onxthewother side, and lat# eral. wedge'fpiny projection ,38 :interposed betweenftheband projection 33 on one side and the ends of bandwprojecti'onsfl and'BQ on the other side, the"otherwedgefpin' projectionsnand .40.= .cooperating with the inner surfaces ofi*thecompression* member Iflanges QiandfQ.' Theiwedge key, 34fis locked `in securingivposition f' by ,-onefofv the two flock. ing tips 4l and .42,z'they latter inthe figures being :ShOWnf tas bentl over rfor .the Ypurpose. statedd To vremovey the key it'zis kmerely necessary to straightenm the locking` `tip,y whereupon the Wedge key may berfwith-v drawni, It, will bewunderstood that. the f ful cruni may be locked in its reverse position in a manner similar to that describedhereinabove. j Y,

t .will be noted that the inclined wedging projections. 29, 3 ,Y 32 and on thel 'front wall of the banded portion. of the iulcrum are arranged in a diamondshape, open at the corners for the passage of portions o'i the wedge key and that other wedge projec tions'formed onthe front wally or said banded portion ot the ifulcrum lie outside oi? the diamond and in line with certa-in other of the projections.

-The tension member receiving portion oi the ulcrum has upper angled wall portions and? 46 which cooperate, respectively, 'with the top and bottom portions 'of 'the tension member ll 'when the fulcru'm 14 is in its diiier'ent operativeA positions. These V- shaped andie'd'tension member' receiving portions at the tension endot- :the fulcrum correspond tothe' angled 'or V-shlaped wall portions at the compression ymember end of the reversible fulcrum.

43 and 44 and lower angled wall portions i5 It is my'v intention to cover all'modiicaf tions of the inventionl falling withinthe spirit and 'scope ofy the following claims.

l. An integrally-formed reversible brake beam fulcrum including a compression inember receiving'portion having top and bottom angled surfaces whichin different positions engage the top and' bottom portions of 'an associated compression member, and wedge lmeans yinsertable between said receiving portion and compression memberfor locking the fulcrum in adjusted position.` l Y 2; An Iintegrally-formed reversiblel'i'rake beam tule-ruin including a oon'ipression'n'iember "receiving portion-having top Aand bottom angled surfacesfwhich-in different 4positions engage thetop' and bottom portions of ank associated compression member, a wedge key having wedging means-for making the i connection` rigid and; locking 'means normally to prevent 'pivotal movement of the fulcrum.

3;`Ana1integrallyrforined "l'vulcrum includtionkl having a pluralityfof 'walls'for embracing a compression member, one ot said ivallshaving a plurality oi Wedge-shaped projections at an angle with respect to each other/Which are instrumental in wedging the tulcruni in place in its `different operative positions. and a Wedge key operatively associated with said projections.

6. An integrally-formed reversible brake beam 'fulcrum including;- a banded portion for receiving a compression member, one wall oil. said banded portion having a plurality of wedged-shaped. projecting portions arranged inr diamond yformation Wherel'iy the fulcruni niay be secured in. its dii'l'erent operative positions.

7. An integrally-formed reversible brake beam nlcrum including` a banded portion for receiving a compression member, one Wall of said banded portion having` a plurality of wedged-shaped projecting; portions arranged in diamond `ornnition whereby the fulcrum may bc secured in. its diierent operative positions, and a` wedge key which may occupy different positions with respect to said projections tor locking thc tulcrum in its different operative positions.

8. An integrally-formed reversible brake beam fulorum includinpi a banded end for the reception of a compression member, the front Wall of said banded portion having a plurality ot Wedge shape projections arranged at an angle with respectto each other in diamondsbape with the corners broken away, and a wedge key having al projection which is wedged between one of said. Wedge projections and a portion of said compression member for forming a rigid. connection and other projections on said Wedge key cooperating With said Wedgeshaped projections and with said compression member for locking;r the ulcrum in adjusted position.

9. in integrally-formed reversible brake beam fulcrum including a compression meniber receiving portion having top and bot- Iii a brake head carfying member with `a receivingv opening therein, and an integrallytormed reversible tulcruin havnif),` a banded portion embracing),l said member and provided with a. projection `extending` into said receiving opening' whereby the nlcrum may be guidedly reversed.

li. ln brake beam, the combination of bralre head carrying` member, and an integrally-formed reversible itulcrnni hai/'ing a banded portion embracing` said member, said member and banded portion having an interengrag'ingi` pivotal connection Whereby the tulcruin may be reversed with respect to said member. y

12. ln a. brake beam, the combination of a. brake head carrying," member, an integrally formed reversible fulcrum havin;T a banded portion embracing said member, said niember and banded portion having an interengaging pivotal connect-ion whereby the fnlcrnn'i may be reversed with respect to said member, and Wedge means for securing;` said tulcrum in position.

13. In a` brake beam, the combination of a bralte he ad carrying men'iber, an integrallyformed reversible itulcrum having; a banded port-ion embracing' said member, saidv member and banded portion having; an interenlsgaginp; pivotal connection whereby the 'tulcrum may be reversed with respect to said member, and means for securing said fulcrum in position. y

Sig-ned at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day ot March, 1921.

VTLLIAM CQ 'HE GCOCK. 

